In November, Montreal Citadel celebrated its 140th anniversary with a weekend of festivities, gathering in the spirit of the theme, “A legacy of faith, a hope for the future.”

The celebrations began on Saturday with more than 30 members of the corps, aged 16-77, walking through the streets of Ville Emard, the neighbourhood where Montreal Citadel is located, to pray for their neighbours block by block, and to talk with and pray for people they met along the way.

The prayer walkers then returned to the church to join with corps members who had gathered around the Salvation Army emergency disaster services van to share coffee, hot chocolate and conversation with people from the community who were shopping along the street.

That evening, the church enjoyed an international potluck banquet, with food representing more than 26 countries, accompanied by music from the corps band. Five current and former members of the corps, including some recent arrivals and some with history going back 70 years, shared testimonies, each speaking of the impact that the corps’ ministry has had on them and their families.

A common thread among the testimonies was the faithfulness of God to individuals, families and to the corps, as it has grown despite the impact of urbanization and a period of out-migration due to historical political changes in Quebec. The banquet room resounded to the truth that “God is good, all the time!”

Colonel Lani Chamness, territorial secretary for spiritual life development, concluded the evening with a reflection, calling on the corps to keep Christ at the centre of all it does.

On Sunday, the citadel filled to capacity for the morning service, featuring a highly anticipated performance of Humanity 2.0, an adaptation of the Gowans and Larsson musical, Man Mark II. Dara Murphy and Elizabeth Shepherd, corps members, adapted the hour-long musical to make it more relevant to 2024. The dialogue, solos and songs were presented in a mixture of English, Spanish and French, reflecting the rich cultural diversity of today’s Montreal Citadel.

The musical was followed by a reflection and appeal by Colonel John Chamness, chief secretary, to keep the cross central to the corps’ identity, ministry and activity.

The weekend finished with 29 young people parading to the front of the sanctuary with the flags of their countries of origin and Montreal Citadel’s flag as the band played its signature march, Montreal Citadel. The entry of the flags brought the morning to a joyful conclusion with a great reminder of what Montreal Citadel is today—a diverse church, with young people leading the way into the future.